Theresa L. Lewis

Theresa Leanora Lewis, nee Queeley, was born in Basseterre, Saint Kitts, to Bernadine James and Howard Osmond Queeley, on October 5th, 1939. She lived to see her 85th Birthday, before transitioning on October 7th, 2024.

When Theresa was a young child, her mother died suddenly. Being the youngest of 5 children, her siblings Doreen, Veronica, Ursula and Walford were credited with helping to raise her, along with their father, and extended family members. Theresa fondly recalled growing up with livestock, cattle, and goats, along with an array of fruits of the land, including mango, soursop, breadfruit, and guava trees in abundance, in Saint Kitts. From there, Theresa developed a passion for nature and flowers, which became a lifelong interest.

At the tender age of 17, Theresa started her very first job at the John Gumbs store in Basseterre, Saint Kitts, selling kitchenware, after Doreen left to work in the ministry in Trinidad. While working at John Gumbs, Theresa met her future husband, William Lewis, who was on the balcony of the Treasury Office, where they locked eyes, and later became sweethearts. Theresa also formed lifelong friendships while working at John Gumbs, with Bernard Trotman. Later, coincidentally, Theresa and her husband William, resided only a few houses away from Bernard, in Oxford, England.

In 1960, at the age of 21, Theresa traveled to Barbados aboard a steam liner, for a two-week journey, to the port of Tilbury, in Essex, England, the principal port of London. After arriving in the U.K., Theresa reunited with her brother Walford, and began to settle into life in Birmingham, on Showell Green Lane. Theresa and Walford used a motorcycle as their preferred mode of transportation traveling around Birmingham. Theresa enjoyed the thrill of being a passenger on the back of a motorcycle.

Theresa was always interested in healthcare, and the caring professions, and began her nursing career at Selly Oak Hospital, in Birmingham.

On June 3rd, 1961, Theresa and William Lewis were married in St. Agatha’s church in Birmingham, surrounded by family and friends. Shortly thereafter, Theresa and William moved to Oxford, England, to begin their married lives together, since William had already settled there. Theresa transferred her nursing career to the Radcliffe Infirmary, to complete her nursing training. Theresa and William welcomed their first of 3 daughters, all born in Oxford, and were thrilled to move into their semi-detached home on Harebell Road, Oxford, shortly after starting their family.

Theresa worked part-time as a telephonist with British Telecom, while caring for her young family, where her husband William was working as an engineer. After their children began school, Theresa returned to nursing, and worked at the Churchill Hospital, and later at the Radcliffe Infirmary, where she met her dear friend Veronica Frank, while working night shifts.

Theresa and William grew restless with life in the U.K., after Walford relocated his family to Canada, where their sister Veronica and family resided. In 1984, Theresa and William made the difficult decision to emigrate to the U.S., after being petitioned by Doreen and Ursula, to pursue a better life for their family. A few years later, Theresa and William were able to purchase a home in the suburbs of Queens, New York, where she continued her daily commute to Manhattan, to work as a nurse at NYU Langone Medical Center.

At age 72, Theresa retired from nursing, in favor of spending more time cultivating her beloved garden, while passionately watching tennis and attending the U.S. Tennis Open Championships annually. Once retired, Theresa continued to travel with her partner William of 60 years. They enjoyed cruising, as well as traveling to the Caribbean islands, and touring Europe. One of Theresa’s last and most desired European trips was to travel to Portugal, at the age of 83. She often travelled to Canada, to spend time with her brother and sisters and their families.

There was never a time when Theresa had idle hands. She was a masterful knitter, cook and gardener, and relished stimulating brain teasers, such as the daily crosswords, and completing puzzles and word-search..

Theresa is survived by her daughters, brother, sister, several nieces, nephews, grand, and great-grandchildren. Theresa was a beloved mother, wife, sister, aunt, grandmother, and friend, who will be sorely missed by all.

A visitation for Theresa will be held Thursday, October 24, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at R. Stutzmann & Son, 224 39 Jamaica Ave, Queens Village, NY 11428. A visitation will occur Friday, October 25, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, 224 39 Jamaica Ave, Queens Village, NY 11428. A funeral service will occur Friday, October 25, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, 224 39 Jamaica Ave, Queens Village, NY 11428. A committal service will occur Friday, October 25, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Maple Grove Cemetery, 127-15 Kew Gardens Rd, New York, NY 11415.